Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery
Product brand
UnclaimedCaribbean-style bakery and restaurant chain
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery is an American bakery chain founded by Lowell Hawthorne in 1989 in the Bronx, New York, offering Caribbean-style breads, pastries, and hot meals, with multiple locations in the eastern United States.
History
Golden Krust's history begins with a family bakery established by Mavis and Ephraim Hawthorne in Saint Andrew, Jamaica, in 1949. The bakery served Jamaican customers with recipes that later became part of the family's commercial identity. The business was subsequently carried into the United States by their children, who adapted the family food tradition to the needs of urban Caribbean communities. Lowell Hawthorne moved to New York in 1981. Before leading Golden Krust, he studied at Bronx Community College and worked for nine years as an accountant with the New York City Police Department. In 1989, Lowell and his brothers and sisters opened the first Golden Krust restaurant on Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. The family reportedly assembled its start-up capital through a susu, a rotating community savings practice in which family members contributed money regularly after conventional bank financing was unavailable. The Bronx restaurant established the company's core operating model: affordable Jamaican meals, portable patties, bakery products, and substantial takeout business. The Hawthorne family remained closely involved in the enterprise, with multiple siblings participating in the business during its early growth. As the restaurant concept gained recognition, Golden Krust expanded through franchising and developed production and distribution capabilities alongside its retail locations. Manufacturing became particularly important for the Jamaican patty. In the late 1990s, the company was producing large volumes of patties on assembly lines at its main facility and distributing patties beyond its restaurants. In 2011, Golden Krust introduced a frozen microwavable Jamaican patty, allowing customers to prepare the product at home. The frozen range later expanded to include several meat, poultry, and plant-based varieties and entered major U.S. grocery channels. The restaurant network grew beyond New York into New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, and Texas. The company also supplied food to retailers, schools, prisons, and other institutions. This combination of franchised restaurants and wholesale food distribution allowed Golden Krust to present Jamaican cuisine in both neighborhood restaurant settings and mainstream retail environments. Golden Krust formalized its cultural marketing through National Jamaican Patty Day in 2015. The event began at the original Bronx location and later became a multi-state promotional and entertainment program. In 2016, Lowell Hawthorne and Golden Krust appeared on the U.S. television series Undercover Boss, increasing public awareness of the company and its family-led culture. Hawthorne died unexpectedly on December 2, 2017, at the age of 57. His death prompted public condolences from employees, colleagues, and Jamaican political figures, including Prime Minister Andrew Holness. The company continued under family ownership and leadership. Jacqueline Hawthorne-Robinson was announced as chief executive in August 2024. Golden Krust remains an active Caribbean restaurant and food-products business, with a restaurant base concentrated in New York and a broader U.S. distribution footprint.
- 2024
Family leadership continues
[2]Jacqueline Hawthorne-Robinson was announced as chief executive of Golden Krust.
- 2017
Death of Lowell Hawthorne
[1]Lowell Hawthorne, the company's former president and chief executive, died unexpectedly at age 57.
- 2016
Television appearance on Undercover Boss
[1]Golden Krust was featured in the U.S. version of Undercover Boss during its seventh season.
- 2015
National Jamaican Patty Day launched
[1]The company created National Jamaican Patty Day as a cultural and promotional celebration of the Jamaican patty.
- 2011
Frozen microwavable patty introduced
[1]Golden Krust expanded beyond restaurant service by introducing a frozen microwavable Jamaican patty line.
- 1989
First U.S. restaurant opens in the Bronx
[1]Lowell Hawthorne and his siblings opened the first Golden Krust restaurant on Gun Hill Road in the Bronx.
- 1949
Family bakery established in Jamaica
[1]Mavis and Ephraim Hawthorne established a bakery in Saint Andrew, Jamaica, creating the family culinary foundation that later informed Golden Krust.
Products and positioning
An accessible, family-owned Jamaican and Caribbean fast-casual brand that combines restaurant service with national distribution of frozen and baked Caribbean foods.
Restaurant and packaged food · 1989
Jamaican Patties
Golden Krust's signature product is the Jamaican patty, a flaky pastry filled with seasoned ingredients. Restaurant and frozen formats have included mild beef, spicy beef, chicken, jerk chicken, cheese, vegetable, and plant-based Beyond Meat varieties. The product is portable, suited to takeout, and central to the company's grocery distribution strategy.
Prepared meal
Jerk Chicken
Jerk chicken is one of Golden Krust's core Jamaican meal offerings. It is typically served as a prepared entrée with rice and peas or other Caribbean sides, reflecting the brand's emphasis on familiar, filling meals designed for quick-service and takeout occasions.
Prepared meal
Oxtail and Curried Goat Meals
Oxtail and curried goat represent the company's more substantial Caribbean entrées. They are served through Golden Krust restaurants alongside rice, peas, vegetables, and other traditional accompaniments, giving the menu breadth beyond patties and bakery items.
Bakery · 1949
Caribbean Bakery Products
The bakery range includes Jamaican-style breads and sweets such as coco bread, hard-dough bread, wheat bread, bulla cake, spice bun, round bun, and tutti frutti. These products connect the U.S. restaurant operation with the family's original Jamaican bakery tradition.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Undercover Boss appearance
United States
Golden Krust participated in the U.S. version of Undercover Boss, with Lowell Hawthorne appearing in the seventh season.
Outcome. The broadcast introduced the family business and its workplace culture to a national television audience.
- 2015National Jamaican Patty Day
United States
Golden Krust established a recurring celebration of the Jamaican patty. It began at the company's original Bronx restaurant and developed into a multi-state series of events, promotions, and entertainment appearances.
Outcome. The initiative broadened the patty's cultural visibility and reinforced Golden Krust's role as a Jamaican-American food brand.
Brand decisions
2024
Appointment of Jacqueline Hawthorne-RobinsonOtherBackground
Following the death of former chief executive Lowell Hawthorne, Golden Krust continued its family-led ownership and governance model.
Action taken
Jacqueline Hawthorne-Robinson was announced as chief executive.
Aftermath
The company remained under Hawthorne family leadership while continuing its restaurant franchising and food-distribution activities.
2011
Expansion into frozen microwavable pattiesProduct launchBackground
Golden Krust sought to extend its Jamaican patty business beyond restaurant counters and into household grocery consumption.
Action taken
The company introduced frozen microwavable Jamaican patties and later expanded the line into multiple meat, poultry, and plant-based varieties.
Aftermath
The products entered major grocery retailers and became an important part of Golden Krust's national distribution business.
Recent events
Sources3 sources
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